India on Tuesday delivered a sharp reaction to reports claiming China provided technical support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Responding to the queries, Randhir Jiaswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that the countries that consider themselves responsible should reflect on how such actions affect their reputation.
Earlier, a Chinese official reportedly admitted that Beijing had provided on-site technical assistance to Pakistan during the 88-hour military standoff with India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
At an MEA briefing, Jaiswal said that the reports corroborate what was known earlier. He said, "We have seen these reports that corroborate what was known earlier. Operation Sindoor was a precise, targeted and calibrated response to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, aimed at destroying state-sponsored terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan and at its behest."
"It is for nations that consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing," Jaiswal added.
Chengdu engineer makes first official confirmation
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, recently said in an interview that China provided the technical support to Pakistan. Notably, Pakistan operates Chengdu-made J-10CE jets.
He said, "At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius.. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically".
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Zhang added that his team wanted to do "an even better job with on‑site support" to ensure that equipment "truly perform at its full combat potential".